Rotary engine.



PATENTED JULY '7, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

INVENTOR .'z' fair-andar A TTU/MIE A. I. OSTRANDER.` RUTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION IILBD lov. 2s. 1'902.

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W/TNESSES:

PATENTED. JULY 7, 1903.

A. I. OSTRANDER.

ROTARY ENGINE. rrmoulon'rnnn Nov. 2s, 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 733,265. l PATENTED JULY 7,'1903. A. I. OSTRANDER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

PPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902.

l0 IODBL. 4 SHEETS-SREBT 3- PATBNTBD JULY v, 1903.

A. I. OSTRANDER.

y ROTARY ENGINE.

Arrmoulos num nov. as, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l0 MODEL.

LL S S E m W lo. wumNmoN o c Patented July '7, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED I. OSTRANDER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY ENGINE'.

EEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 733,265, dated July 7, 1903.

Application filed November 28,1902. Serial No. 183,001. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED 1. OSTRANDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, (lVilliamsbridge,) borough of the Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, the object being to provide an engine of this character of novel construct-ion adapted to utilize all the energy of the steam, thus resultingin economy ofthe motive agent.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the general description.

l will describe a rotary engine embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a section on the line T o of Fig. 2 of the rotary engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line w w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line rc oc of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2,

but showing the bearings in another position. Fig. 5 is a section on the liney y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a valve-shifting cam employed. Fig. 7 is a section on the line z z of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the engine.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a fixed cylindrical casing in which a rotary driving-cylinder2isarranged. Thisdrivingcylinder has a bearing at one end on a shaft 3, which is held stationary and passes through a steam-chest 4. The other end of the cylinder 2 is rigidly connected to a driving-shaft 5, having bearings in the end wall of the casing 1 and in a post 6. Between the said post and the casing a driving-wheel 7 is secured to said driving-shaft. Rigidly supported between the shafts 3 and 5 and eccentric thereto is a shaft 8. This shaft 8 is secured at one end in a block 2, attached to the fixed shaft 3, and the other end of said shaft 8 is secured in a block 10, supported on the inner end of the shaft 5. Mounted to rotate on this fixed shaft 8 is a cylindrical abutment 11. By thus mounting the abutment 11 its upper portion is at all times in engagement with the inner.

upper portion of the rotary cylinder 2. The abutment l1, however, rotates with said cylinder. Extended lengthwise through the cylinder 2 is a piston-plate 12. This plate is secured at its ends to the heads of the cylinder' and is in steam-tight connection with the cylinder for a greater portion of its length; but in the other portion of its length is a rotary valve 13, which will be more fully described hereinafter. t will be noted that the shaft S has eccentric bearings, so that by turning it the bearing of the abutment l1 against the cylindermay be adjusted.

The rotary abutment 11 has a longitudinal slot in which the piston-plate 12 moves, a suitable packing 14 being provided at the sides and carried by said abutment. The rotary valve 13 is cut out at its opposite sides to form ports, as indicated at 15 and 16, and it is arranged to rotate in a slot formed in the driving-cylinder 2, so as to permit of an exhaust to the outer side thereof, as will be hereinafter described.

The ports l5 16 are designed for communication with a port 17, leading outward through the plate 12, and this port 17 communicates, through an opening in the head of the driving-cylinder 2, with a crescent-shaped chamber 1S, which forms a port from which steam passes into the engine. The outer Wall of this port 18 is eccentric to the axis of the driving-cylinder, the object being to regulate the amount of steam admitted from a cut-off valve consisting of a disk 19, mounted to rotate on the fixed shaft 3 and having an opening 2O for receiving a chamber-ed head 21, which has a movement relatively to the disk 19. Steam is admitted to the chamber of this head through perforations 22. This head 21 is mounted to rotate on an arm 23, connected to the disk 19, and formed on this head 21'is a gear 24, meshing with a gear 25, rigidly attached to the shaft 3. Attached to the arm 23is a gear 26, which surrounds the shaft 3 and meshes with a gear 27 on a shaft 28, which extends out through the outer Wall of the .steam-chest and has connected to its outer end a pinion 29, which is engaged by a segment-rack 30 on a controlling-lever 31. This controlling-lever 31 is mounted to swing on an arm 32, and it is held in its adjusted position by means of a spring-pressed pawl 33, carried by the lever and engaging with an arc-rack 34 on the upper end of the arm 3 2.

I will now describe the means for shifting the valve 13 to cause the engine to rotate in thedesireddirection. Surroundingthesteamchest within the casing 1 is a ring 35, which is designed to have a movement longitudinal of said steam-chest. In an annular channel formed in the periphery of this ring 35 is a rotary ring 36, having an angular opening 37, which receives a spiral stem 38, extended from the end of the valve 13. From the ring 35 rods 39 extend outward through openings in the outer wall of the steam chest at the-outer side of the chest and connect at their outer ends with crossed arms 40. From the hub of the arms 40 a linger 41 extends in- Ward through an opening in a bracket 42, and on the inner end of this linger is a roller 43, engaging in the channel of a cam 44. This cam has its shaft bearing in an arm 45, and on the shaft at the inner side ofthe cam is a pinion 46, meshingr with the gear-wheel 29. The channels in the cam-wheel are curved only forashort distance of their length, the greater length being straight around the wheel. It is obvious by this construction that when the lever 31 is turned in one direction the cam will be operated to draw the rings 35 36 outward, consequently causing Vrotation of the Valve 13 to admit steam to one side of the engine, and when the lever is movedin the opposite direction the rings will be moved inward to cause the reversing of said valve. When the lever 31 is in an upright position, the roller 43 is midway of the curved portion ofthe cam and the valve13is in midway position, so that a very slight movement of the lever 31 serves to throw the roller in and out of the straight portions of the cam and xes the direction ot' rotation o'tl the engine, and further movement of the lever to regulate the steam cut-off will have no further effect on the valve 13. The ring 36 of course travels around the ring 35 with the driving-cylinder.

In operation steam passes into'the steamchest through an inlet 47. It then passes through said steam-chest and through the perforations 22 in the head 21 ofthe cut-0E valve and then out through a port 48 in said head into the port 18 and thence into the cylinder. The steam passing through the port 16 will find an abutment at the junction or connection of the cylindrical Vabutment with the working cylinder, and the expansion against the piston-plate 12 will cause a rotary movement of the working cylinder, and during the movement the steam area between the two parts 2 and 11 will be gradually increased about one-half a rotation and then will gradually diminish. The exhaust passes out through the port 15 and by impinging against battle-plates 49 on the inner side of the easing 1 will react upon the outer surface of the cylinder 2 and materially aid in the operation. From this casing the exhaust passes out through a pipe 50.

The cut-0E is regulated by the distance of thevport 48 from the shaft 3. It is obvious that as the port 48 approaches the shaft 3 it will pass over the port 18 in a longer arc, and

steam will be fed to the cylinder during the passage of the port 48 across the port 18. W'hen the lever 31 is in vertical position, the valve-head 21, with its outlet-port 48, is directly above and at its greatest distance from the shaft 3, the port 48 being on a straight line through the center of the shaft 3 and the center of the valve-head 21. The port 48 is now entirely outside of the path of the port 18, and no steam will be admitted. When the lever is revolved to the position shown in Fig. 8, the rack- 30 rotates the gear 29, and this gear by rotating the gear 27 causes a rotary movement of the plate or disk 19, carrying with it the valve-head 21,

with its gear 24 meshed with the gear 25,-

ixed to the shaft 3. This causes the valvehead 21 to have a rolling motion andthe port 48 to travel ahead of its former position on a straight line through the center ot' the shaft 3 and valve-head 21 and also to approach the shaft 3 and will new be in the position shown in Fig. 3.

' When the engine is at rest on a dead-center, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the contin ued movement of the lever 31 in the direction indicated in Fig. 8 will cause the port 48 to follow the edge of the crescent-shaped port 18 until it occupies a position between the horns of the crescent-shaped port where the lever 31 is at the end of the arc. In reversing, the port 48 travels around the other horn of the crescent to this same position between the horns. Now it is evident that as the crescentvshaped port 18 revolves about the shaft 3 as a center the port 48 will pass over the crescent-shaped port 18 and admit steam through an arc whose length varies with the various positions that the port 48 may take, from zero when the port 48 is at the top ot the crescent-shaped port 18 to a practically full revolution when the port 48 is at the lower position, between the horns of the crescent-shaped port 18.

From the above it is apparent that no steam will be admitted to the cylinder by the 'movement of the lever 31 in either direction when the piston-plate 12 is in the point of tangency of the abutment 11, as shown in Fig. 2, but that a small movement of the cylinder in the proper direction will bring the port 48 over the port 18, and steam will be admitted to canse rotation of the cylinder. In other words, the steam is always cut 0E during the passage of the piston-plate 12 through the point of tangency of the cylinder and the abutment. When the engine comes to rest in any other position but that shown in Fig. 2-as, for instance, the position shown in Fig. 4-the movement of the lever 31 sets the valve 13 in the proper direction, and the port 48 will come over the crescent-shaped port 18 at some point in its travel, admitting steam to the cylinder.

When it is essential to absolutely avoid aV dead-center, two engines may be put on the same driving-shaft, with piston-plates dis- IOO ITO

posed at one hundred and eighty degrees with each other.

Having thus described my invention, l

'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A rotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate in the casing, a cylindrical abutment arranged eccentrically in the cylinder, a piston-plate connected to the cylinder and movable into and ont cf an opening in the cylindrical abutment, and a controlling-valve carried by said piston-plate, substantially as specified.

2. A rotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a Working cylinder mounted to rotate therein, a cylindrical abutment eccentrically arranged in said cylinder and having a longitudinal slot or opening, an abutment-plate secured in the cylinder and movable into and out of said slot or opening, a valve for controlling the inlet of steam to the interior of the cylinder and controlling the exhaust therefrom, and means for shifting said valve, substantially as specilied. v

Arotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a Working cylinder mounted to rotate therein, a cylindrical abutment eccentrically mounted in the cylinder, the said abutment having a longitudinal slot, a piston-plate attached to the interior of the cylinder and adapted to pass into and out of said slot, the said plate being providedvwith an inlet-port, a rotary valve for controlling said port, and means for controlling the admission of steam to said port, substantially as specified.

4. Arotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a Working cylinder mounted to rotate therein and having a port through one of its heads and a port or opening in its periphery, a piston-plate extended lengthwise in the cylinder and secured thereto, a rotary valve having ports at its opposite sides the said valve being arranged in line with said plate, said plate having a port for connecting the ports of the rotary valve with a port through the head of the cylinder, means for regulating the admission of steam into said cylinder, a iixed shaft Within the cylinder and eccentric thereto, and a rotary abutment mounted on said fixed shaft, and having an opening to receive the piston plate, substantially as specified.

5. A rotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, baffle-plates on the inside of said casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate in the casing, a cylindrical abutment arranged eccentrically in the cylinder so as to engage at all times with the cylinder, said cylindrical abutment having a longitudinal opening or slot, a piston-plate secured in the cylinder and movable in said opening or slot, the said plate having a port and the said cylinder having a port in one of its heads for communicating With the port in the plate, and also having a port in its periphery, and a rotary valve for controlling the entrance of steam to the cylinder and also controlling the exhaust from the cylinder whereby said exhaust may operate against the said baffle-plates, substantially as specified.

6. A rotary engine, comprising a liXed casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate therein, and having a port in its head, the said port comprising a crescent or curved depression or port in the outer surface of the head, a cylindrical abutment eccentrically mounted in the cylinder having a longitudinal opening or slot, a piston-plate secured in the cylinder and movable in said opening or slot, the said plate having` a port for com municating with a port through the head of the cylinder, a valve for controlling the inlet of steam to the cylinder from said port `in the plate, a disk mounted for rotary movement on a IiXed shaft, the said plate or disk having a port to communicate more or less with said crescentshaped depression, and means for causing a rotary movement of said disk, substantially as specified.

7. A rotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate in said casing, a cylindrical abutment eccentrically mounted to rotate in said cylinder, the said abutment having a longitudinal opening, a piston-plate secured within the cylinder and movable in said opening, the said plate having a port communicating with a port in the head of the cylinder, a rotary valve for controlling the inlet of steam to the cylinder through said port in the plate, the said port in the head of the cylinder comprising a crescent-shaped depression in the outer face of the head, a disk mounted to rotate on a ixed shaft and having a port to communicate more or less with said crescent-shaped depression, a chambered head carried with said disk and having a port for communication With a port of the disk, the said chamber also having an inlet for receiving steam from the steam-chest, means for causinga rotary movement of the disk, and means for causing a swinging or rotary movement of the said head, substantially as specitied.

8. A rotary engine, comprising a fixed casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate in the casing, a steam-chest at one end of the casing, a cylindrical abutment mounted eccentrically in the cylinder and having a longitudinal opening at one side, a piston-plate secured in the cylinder movable in said opening, the said piston-plate having an inlet-port, a rotary valve for controlling said port, aspirallydisposed stem for said valve, a ring movable lengthwise of the steam-chest and having an angular opening vto receive said stem, and means for moving the ring on the steam-chest, substantially as specified.

9. A rotary engine, comprising a casing, a cylinder mounted to rotate in the casing, a cylindrical abutment eccentrically mounted in the cylinder and having an inlet-port for steam, a rotary valve for controlling said port, a spiral stem from said valve, a steamchest at one end ot the casing, a channeled IOC IIO

ring movable lengthwise of said steam-chest, I and an opening to receive said stem, a iixed a ring arranged in the channel of the firstnained ring, and having an opening to reoeive the valve-stem, rods extended outward from the channeled ring, arms connecting said rods, a cam, a Connection between said Cain and the arms, and means for imparting a rotary motion to the cam, substantially as specified.

l0. A rotary engine, Comprising a casing, a cylinder mounted to rotaie in the casing and having a port in one of its heads and a port at one side, a cylindrical abutment eccentrioally mounted in the cylinder and having a longitudinal slot in its periphery, a pistonplate secured in the cylinder and movable in said slot, the said plate having a port providing Communication between the two ports of the cylinder, a rotary valve for controlling said port, a spiral stem extended from the valve, a

a ring mounted to move steam-chest at one end of the casing, on said steam-chest shaft on which one end of the cylinder has a bearing, a disk mounted to rotate on said fixed shaft at the outer side of the cylinder said disk being provided with a port for oommunicating with a port through the head of the cylinder, a controlling-lever, gear oonneotions between said oontrollin -lever and said disk, a ohainbered head mounted for rotary motion relatively to said disk, the said chambered head havinginletand outlet ports, a gear on said head, and a gear xed to the shaft and engaging with the gear on the head, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED I. OSTRANDER.

Witnesses:

JN0. M. RITTER, C. R. FERGUSON. 

